CFVY Break
by GiantdadHasLanded
Summary: Coco, Fox, Velvet and Yatsuhashi. Four students at Beacon with a strong sense of individuality are put together as team CFVY. Follow them as they discover who they are, why they fight and try to sort out their emotions. That alone they are flawed in many ways but as they grow closer as a team, trust is strength and no matter the problem they face; they aren't afraid to take it out.
1. Chapter 1: New Horizons

**New Horizons**

Yatsuhashi is large, very large. He knew this the day he first hit his first growth that he would be much bigger than most people his age. However even in youth he understood that size won't help you if you don't have the strength to back it up. He lived in a small village which didn't have much in terms of major settlements being that they were on the outskirts of Vale, although what little they held in economic capital they doubled in might against the grimm threat which rested around every corner. You grew up in this village with a weapon in hand and you stayed on your toes even in the comfort of your house. Like many children on these border villages, he was an orphan and learnt how to take care of himself out of necessity. He went to a combat school and early on he quickly grew taller and taller and with every passing year he challenged his might. He fought against older students since his classmates couldn't keep up with his rapid growth. Though he would be beaten he would always come back for more and return ten fold what was delivered.

Its in these times where he would lay on his back after every difficult match where he saw a glimpse into his future, he would become a Hunstman. Ever since he's strode for that goal with all his passion. But as he grew, the other students grew in fear. His size was almost unnatural and the strength he could bring out in desperate situations was unnerving, almost beast like. Students and people alike started to avoid his gaze and tried to keep interactions to a minimum. He took it in stride and kept focused, for him this was just a acknowledgement of his strength. Besides he didn't need company to be strong, just their mettle. There was just one teacher who stayed close and from the beginning always came by to check on him. He was an elder who had lived through the great war and was the one who taught Yatsuhashi how to wield a sword. For Yatsuhashi he had been a invaluable mentor ever since and he listened to him like his words were the very answer to life.

The years passed quickly and he graduated with flying colors. As just as soon he sent his application to Beacon, Vale's most prestigious combat school. After a practical test and a personal interview he was accepted. When the time came to leave he packed little, not that he had much to begin with but he understood that leaving this town meant leaving his past self behind and everything with it. He took one last look at his village and the one person who came to see him off. His mentor could only smile and wave as the engines started. So with a small smile, a duffle bag slung over his shoulder and his great-sword on his back he stepped onto the massive bulkhead towards new horizons...

* * *

Standing strait at seven feet, he towered at least a head over the other students in the airship as it floated gently to Beacon academy. The academy was only a few minutes away and through the windows its great tower grew bigger every second. His classmates scurried to the windows trying to get a better look at their new school and future as huntsmen that awaited them. Though he was just as excited, he let the others rush by him and stayed back a few feet knowing that even from here he would be able to see perfectly well.

Looking at the school, he thought about how much his life is going change now that he was finally here. After years of training and preparation this is where he will discover if he is destined to be a Huntsman or if he will fall short and not be good enough.

 _Not good enough_

Those words have plagued him ever since he started to train. He always pushed himself farther and harder because of the idea of failure scared him so. Mostly because he knew that in an occupation where he would be responsible for the protection of civilian lives; failure is not an option. Beacon made it clear that only top tier candidates would graduate and any wrinkle of weakness would be pressed out forcibly; either through the intense physical or educational regime. Would he be able to achieve this goal? This goal which every fiber of his being told him that he was made for this? Or will reality put him in his place and show where he belongs.

He continued to ponder however, amidst the crowded windows were a pair of tall brown ears and a frail voice that peeked out. "Excuse me... I need to get out! P-please I can't breath there are too many people here…" The girl's small arms swung around uselessly against the mob as she tried her best to leave. Yastuhashi moved forward, his enormous presence made the crowd part the way as he made his way to the crushed girl.

* * *

Velvet just wanted a peek at Beacon from this height. If she hadn't packed her camera she would be shooting away since the view was breathtaking. She wouldn't even need to position anything, everything about Beacon seemed to just have a natural beauty from any angle. Lost in her admiration, the others also wished to see and pressed together against the wall and windows.

The view was no longer great when you are packed like a sardine and that the quality of the glass becomes your primary concern. She tried to weasel her way out with little success and let out a small cry for help.

Velvet was trying to squeeze through two students when suddenly she fell forward into a empty space and collided with a green wall. Regaining her balance, she peered up to see what she had hit and was met with a pair of small dark eyes.

Her eyes opened wide as she realized what she had hit was NOT a wall but another student. "Ah! I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to do that, I was just trying to get out of there but then people weren't moving and I lost my balance and then-" She stammered

"Its alright," Yatsuhashi chuckled "I saw you and came to help" He turned and lead her out as he finished. Using his long arms to gently push the others out of the way, he led them to the back of the transport as Velvet followed close by.

Once she had her personal space again, Velvet let out a relieved sigh and leaned against the back wall. There were a lot less students in this area leaving much space for the two to get comfortable. She peered back up to her new companion truly taking in his size for the first time. She scrutinized his face and body, trying to gather as much information about her companion. He was huge but not in a terribly intimidating way and he seemed had an air of gentleness and tranquility which betrayed his size and resting scowl. At least that's what she thought, she couldn't really make much of an assessment aside from the few words he had said

They hadn't spoken a word since they got here. Yastuhashi simply closed his eyes and meditated having accomplished his task and not seeing the point of further interaction. While Velvet squirmed a bit in place, trying to properly formulate a way to introduce herself and thank him without being awkward.

She tried simulating the interaction but it always sounded strange or ended the same way. She would look him in the eye and say 'Hi! I'm Velvet Scarlatina and I like photography, cooking pastries and reading!' Then he would say 'Hi! I'm so-and-so and I'm very big! I've been told that when you hug me I feel like a big teddy bear!' or something along those lines. Then they would shake hands and then…

And then what.

She really didn't know and this is where she would get blocked. Would he actually answer in that way? Does he really feel like a teddy bear when you hug or is she just getting too ahead or herself.

Instead of any of those situations, the remaining minutes of the flight ended with Yastuhashi almost falling asleep and Velvet squirming in place trying to not give herself a panic attack.

The bulkhead landed with a resounding thud and its doors opened to Beacon. Hearing the landing, the stoic giant opened his eyes and started to move forward startling Velvet. She saw he take a few steps and quickly realized that she would lose her first possible friend before she even stepped onto the school grounds. This awaken a small surge of confidence and will in Velvet as she sprung forward to tap on him on his back. He turned as Velvet stood a bit straighter and took a small breath. "I'm sorry, I haven't thanked you for earlier. I-I'm not the greatest at interacting with people and I really do appreciate what you did for me. So I was trying to find the best way to say thank you but time passed me by. I am sorry." She bowed slightly and then brought out her hand "Let me start again. My name is Velvet, Velvet Scarlatina. What's yours?" she looked him in the eyes and smiled.

Yatsuhashi was surprised for a moment, he hadn't thought that she wanted to talk. He thought that she was avoiding him like many in the past have, yet this small faunus stood in front of him and seemed genuine and unafraid. He looked into her eyes and saw for the first time just how full of energy and kindness this girl held. A small grin grew on his face as he met her handshake. "Yatsuhashi Daichi."

"A pleasure to meet you Yatsuhashi!" His hands were twice the size of Velvet's but they still shared a firm handshake and warm smiles. When they finished they followed the rest of the students out of the airship together and walked to the great tower.

As they walked along the long walkways, Velvet made note of a tan student who was freaking out over something to do with name brand sweaters and a tall beret wearing girl who was trying to calm him down. He seemed very adamant to help and apologize while the girl kept saying 'its okay' or 'dont worry about it'. Velvet chuckled and was about to check out the commotion when she noticed that Yatsuhashi had pulled ahead with his long strides. She jogged quickly back to him but not taking one last look at the scene behind her. This year was going to be special she thought as she scanned the school and walked towards new horizons with her new friend.

.

.

.

"Hey Yastuhashi, I have a strange request..."

"Hrm?"

"C-Can I call you Yastu?"

"...Sure"

* * *

/AN: Yo what's up

So this is a thing. Its just gonna be some cutesy bullshit shenanigans with Team CVFY because its what I need after seeing the Season 3 finale, don't worry I wont say a word. Main pairing is gonna be Yatsu and Velvet because damn that's adorable and I will fight anyone who says otherwise. There is also going to be a bit of Coco and Fox going down as I don't want them to feel left out of the lovin. Its the beginnings of team CVFY and the adventures following their foundation. So expect some grimm hunting, dorm nonsense, school shenanigans and most importantly puns. Lots and lots of puns. Also the following Chapters will be MUCH longer, this is just an introduction.

Yeah this is just a small project that will get more and more updates slowly but surely mostly because I write in big burst. So expect the next update in like a week or a month from now. Sorry about that.

This is rated M because there will be some graphic makeouts and maybe a tiny bit of smut later on in the series because these are hormone filled teenagers and damn do they gotta release some of that stress. It is also for mature content in terms of suicidal thoughts, themes about growing up, understanding who you are, violence and all the good stuff your parents didn't allow you to watch on TV.

Alright I think I wrapped what this story is going to be nicely so...

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING AND GIVING MY BULLSHIT STORY A CHANCE.

It really is appreciated and I cannot understate that. Please do leave a review, I read every one and I will try to answer any question that comes my way. Not only that but do be critic about my pieces because I want to improve and there's nothing better than peer review. If not don't worry about it, I understand it is a hassle and I'm more than ecstatic that someone read my work.

SO THANK YOU ALL AGAIN AND I WILL SEE YOU NEXT TIME

CIAO


	2. Chapter 2: Unforgettable Introduction

**A/N HEY what's up. So I said I would update one month later and I absolutely lied through my teeth like a goose. According to the calendar I should've updated _yesterday_. I am sorry about that but I promise to try to keep this kind of schedule because it really allows me the time to write what I want to write properly and leeway in case, _like this month,_ when shit hits the fan I can still manage to update on time. **

**IN ANYCASE YOU ALL ARE TIRED OF MY RAMBLINGS AND JUST WANT TO READ SO I LEAVE YOU TO IT**

 **I HOPE YOU ENJOY AND THANK YOU FOR READING.  
**

* * *

 **Chapter 2: Unforgettable Introduction**

Everything was going so well for Fox.

He had gotten into Beacon! His dream to fight the grimm threat was so close to being accomplished. He could only scoff at all the critics saying that it would be impossible; that his blindness would hold him back. The moment he got the news he had gotten new gauntlets that felt just right for his combat style, he needed to be ready and ready to impress. They were sharpened and thoroughly cleaned every morning until the fated first day came. He had everything he needed packed up, woke up early, felt great and excited to go to his new school. He never felt more prepared in his life. However, what had not accounted for was the airship. This was a first for him, he had never flown before but he wasn't deterred; Beacon awaited.

Did you know! With the lack of visual input, a majority of the blind population are more susceptible to a very particular phenomenon:

 _motion sickness_.

For Fox, he felt immediate regret and turbulence building in his belly the moment the airship took off. The journey was a trial of endurance and fortitude as the nausea kept hitting the unfortunate brawler. Others around him could only give him a sympathetic air as he was visibly struggling with the odd movements of the ship.

But he was resolved to not throw up. He had his pride and first impressions were paramount for his success in this school. He would not allow being known as the kid who threw up on the first day of classes.

That being said, he would also not mind if this infernal metal torture device could finish its travel any time now. Every second he was getting progressively worse and he noted the most _delicious_ taste of bile in the back of his throat building slowly.

He needed off this ship asap.

His wish was granted as he felt the airship land with a heavy thump and he breathed a deep sigh of relief. His body gave into a wave of recuperation which felt heavenly. He heard and felt the rest of his peers leaving and just as he took a step to follow them… the sound of clicking heels still spell doom for him to this day.

A solid, resounding slap on the back came from a mysterious and strong girl behind him. "Glad you survived the trip! You won me a bet you know." said the unknown assailant. She passed around to stand in front of him, wanting to continue her conversation.

Fox's body on the other hand had different plans for her unfortunately. He felt the shock throughout his body reawaken all the nausea and misery that came with it.

And just like that, the dam burst.

Fox puked

There was a shared moment of silence as the two tried to realize what had just occurred. The girl was first the express anything as fox heard her take a deep sigh. "Oh goodness, … my good _Romain_ sweater…" She breathed slowly.

Then it hit Fox. Not only did he barf, but he barfed ON the first person he "met".

 _Everything was going so well..._

 _..._

Coco slipped on her other brown combat sweater and was doing up her matching black corset that completed her favorite ensemble. She was glad that she packed clothes in her carry on bag, not that she would go _anywhere_ without at least two sets. Although she does love showing off her capacity as a fashionista and did change her get up fairly often, she did not think that she would have to change so early having just arrived at school.

She looked over her shoulder to find the reason for this quick change in attire behind her keeping a lookout for her outside the bathroom.

He did turn out to be much different than she expected however. On the airship she was watching him with some other students because he had an air of _too cool for school_ or _my darkness is 2 deep 4 u_ kind of vibe. Then his… _introduction_ , had made quite the scene and he was quick to apologize profusely. His cool and no nonsense appearance was broken by his show of awkwardness and slight gangly way of handling himself while talking to her. He even tried to offer compensation but Coco was having none of it.

Though the experience was not exactly **pleasant** , she just thought of it as karmic justice since she used him as the butt end of a bet. Not only that, she quickly realized that she was the one that made the poor kid puke. Because of that, she was genuinely more worried about him. Though a bit of revenge wouldn't hurt…

She finished her prep and walked out and over to him. "You know, people tend to take me out on a date before trying to take off my clothes." She joked testing the waters, wanting to see if this would tease the brawler.

His head snapped at her a alarming speed "I swear to Dust I had no such intentions. Again, I am terribly sorry." he bowed again and tried to look her in the eyes. The slight unfocused air they had raised some questions but Coco let them slide, there would be time for questions. Right now is the time to tease.

"Oh? But we essentially exchanged bodily fluids, we were almost making out." Coco pushed her glasses up as a sly grin crept onto her face.

"Don't associate vomit as an exchange of fluids. Ever again." Fox responded curtly.

She laughed gently as her victim squirmed around her words. Pleased and content, she passed around him and down the corridor. "It's a joke honey, relax." she pat fox on the shoulder as she passed.

Fox sighed and followed a bit behind her, a reasonable distance away. He didn't quite know how he felt about the girl and so kept a healthy skepticism. She had a very particular sense of humor and yet an easy-as-it-goes personality. Not everyone would be so calm about being covered in puke. Just thinking about it made him grimace. He was so ready to impress. Ready to prove that he is a force to be reckoned with. He can't imagine what the others students must think about him.

That was one thing she did appreciate about the girl, she didn't seem to harbor any ill will about the situation. Or at least that what it seems to be, she could be acting out of pity. Did she notice his blindness?

This was petty. She forgave him and he's suspecting her of harboring ulterior motives then being a little shit. He took a deep breath then ran his hands down his face, releasing the tension he was holding in his body. Feeling refreshed, he caught up to her rather impressive stride and walked with her. "I'm Fox. Fox Alistar." he said quickly.

Coco threw her arms in the air. "Finally! I was hoping you'd get the nerve to tell me. Didn't want to tell other people I had a near one night stand with a guy who's name I didn't even know." She giggled as Fox let out a frustrated groan. Fox quickly realized that this event will not be soon forgotten by his companion as a source of endless teasing material. "I'm Coco Adel. A pleasure I'm sure."

"So far; It's only been _pleasure_ being with you." Fox quipped

Coco stopped in her tracks and looked at Fox like she just heard her grandmother cuss for the first time. "SO YOU **DO** HAVE A SENSE OF HUMOR!" she squealed indignantly with a sly grin on her face.

* * *

Fox and Coco shared some small talk for the rest of their way to orientation. The hall was massive and full to the brink with students. A tall ceiling, enormous columns which lined the walls and an impressive stage that commanded attention.

Coco was enthralled with everything around her. The excitement of everyone around her was electrifying and the buildings here could only described as epic pieces of engineering.

Fox was more preoccupied with the distinctive presences on the stage. The two people there seemed to be evaluating the students. He even felt as if they had their piercing eyes on him at one point. They had a strange feeling about them. One seemed to be very authoritative and demanded respect. While the other seemed very powerful but had a quiet quality to them.

Everything around them went abruptly silent as the second being coughed into the microphone. The hall was silent for a few moments as the man took a sip of his coffee before beginning. He spoke gently but every word seemed to hold a heavy weight to them. "Welcome students to Beacon. I am headmaster Ozpin…. I look to you all and I see wasted energy, wasted talent and wasted ambition. In this school we will teach you to hone and focus your abilities. To uphold all the duties and responsibilities of huntsmen and huntresses."

Ozpin paused, scanning the crowd. "Your time here will be difficult, dangerous and full of trials that will test your will. Your will to fight, your will to live and your will to endure. _This is not a place of leisure._ You will take your training seriously… or you will die." He finished and turned away from the microphone, walking off the stage as the other person took the mic.

Unlike Ozpin, she spoke quickly and punctually. "As you know, I am Glynda Goodwitch. I am a professor here and will teach you in the ways of combat." she took out a large scroll and started swiping different commands on the screen. "The initiation test will be first thing tomorrow morning at the Emerald forest at the coordinates provided by your scrolls. Don't forget to store your armor and weaponry in your assigned lockers and to log on to the Beacon system with your scroll or else you won't be going much anywhere in these buildings. For sleeping arrangements, you all will be in the great hall. Dismissed."

The crowd was silent, stunned by the sheer bluntness of the speeches. It happened so quickly and yet it was so much to listen to.

Fox on the other hand felt a fire light in him. This is exactly what he wanted. This school will provide to be his greatest challenge yet and his strength will not only be tested but pushed to their very limits. He clenched his fist tightly, he couldn't wait to start.

Coco was left more confused. She assumed that everyone here knew exactly what this school was about. That one day everyone here will need to put their lives on the line and do so without thinking twice. The speech didn't faze her, rather she was already in the proper mindset and it was nothing new.

She turned to Fox and clapped him on the shoulder. He looked back, his face was beaming. She grinned gently seeing the almost childlike excitement burning in Fox and brought her a little as well. "Looks like this is going to be quite the adventure…"

* * *

Yastuhashi rolled out his bedroll in a corner of the massive hall which the students were sleeping. Knowing he needed the space he tried to find a spot that was less occupied and the corner offered ample area. There were only 3 other students within 5 meters of him and they all seemed to be the quiet types, much to his pleasure. Comparatively, the center of the hall was packed with people and chatter. Not that loudness bothered him, rather silence was a preference. Though the quietest thing here was right next to him, Velvet.

She had her nose deep into a rather large book and her eyes moved quickly across the pages, completely immersed. She wore a modest brown tee shirt with matching pajama pants patterned with a small carrot design and sat on her own bed as she leaned against the wall.

Himself had just a simple sleeveless white shirt and pants which revealed his scars and muscles on his arms. Suffice to say when he made his way to this corner he wasn't ignored. He felt the observer's eyes on his back and even caught Velvet taking a peek. He didn't much care for what they thought. If anything and if the rumours if teams being true, he thought that this was a chance for scoping out possible teammates and vice versa.

However what plagued his mind the most was Ozpin's speech. He was troubled by his words, more particularly about wasting energy. He was standing in the back of the hall to not block the view for others with Velvet next to him. He listened intently to what Ozpin said but he couldn't help but feel a desire to prove him wrong. That the years spent training were not wasted. He will show his worth and grow stronger.

Velvet too was bothered by Ozpin. She held in her the mentions of death and responsibility. She was at this school because she wanted to help others and defend not only her kind but all people from harm. Though she was no coward she still was afraid of death and the idea of being responsible for the direct survival of others around her. She wanted the resolve and strength and this school will provide it. But it would not be easy, not only for her but for everyone.

Just what kind of hardships did Ozpin have in wait for them? What dangers could cost them their life?

To distract herself she found a heavy book on the hall about a knight and a princess that exchanged souls. As much as she tried to lose herself in the story it was futile. She closed the book after just finishing it letting it drop from her hands and onto her lap. She looked around her to find that most everyone else had gone to sleep. She looked at the candle she lit when she got here was almost already at its end, a testament to how late it really was.

However she saw Yatsuhashi still sitting up his back to her. He was still awake and meditating by the looks of it, so she gently put the book aside and pulled her knees to her chest.

"Hey… Yatsu?" she whispered, hoping to not wake the others around her.

She was still a little embarrassed about calling him Yastu but she thought that maybe giving him a nickname would solidify their friendship. It was also a way for her to be more casual with him since it reminded her of a name she gave to her old stuffed toys. .

Yastuhashi shifted at her sound voice and turned his head slightly towards her. Not enough to meet her eyes but enough to let her know he was listening. It was very late into the night and he was about to retire but he wouldn't just ignore his newest acquaintance.

She hugged in her legs a bit tighter. "Do you think that… people might die here? I mean of course it's dangerous, but the school wouldn't throw us away. Right?..." she murmured meekly.

Yastuhashi looked up and breathed a deeply. He hadn't really considered the possibility of dying in this school, himself or others. He thought for a moment, trying to find the right words but also find the best answer for her. He didn't want to scare her but at the same time he didn't want to lie either. After a few minutes he turned around to face her. "It's… possible." he said gently.

Velvet was shocked, she stared at his face for a couple of moments trying to accept the reality of those words. But then looked down at her feet, feeling a little dejected. Those few words struck her deeper than she expected especially from someone so grounded. Her ears drooped gently forward despite her attempts to keep them upright. A binding pressure started to build in her chest as her mind blazed with questions that held a crushing hold on her heart. 'Will there come a time where she has to bear the burden of the death of another? Will she be strong enough to continue forward if it ever happens?'

Yatsuhashi watched her display this impressive range of emotions but was at of a loss at how remedy it. It's been years since anyone has shone any sort of emotional intimacy and he felt useless. He wrung his hands in frustration berating himself for his lack of knowledge, wisdom and for his choice of words. She came for reassurance and received grief instead, smooth.

He could see her physically and emotionally close up and it pained him. Despite that they just met today, it remained that she was his first friend in a long time. He wanted to help, he just… didn't know how.

Yatsuhashi stretched out his hand and hesitantly tried to place it on her knees but stopped mid-way. This level of physical contact seemed too intimate for Yatsuhashi and he didn't want to offend her especially in a such delicate situation. Not only that but he didn't have the confidence in giving a gentle touch to others. He was a warrior, his strength was to destroy and hurt, he could end up hurting her more than help. His hand floated a few inches away from Velvet's closed form but then retracted slowly.

They sat quietly amongst the light glow of her candle both lost in their own thoughts. Several minutes pass as the sounds of the sleeping students filling the room with the dim light; the only source of warmth. Despite the eerie serenity of the room, Velvet's stress was building and at an alarming rate. Her breath shortened as she winded herself up further with doubt and worst case scenarios. The pressure in her chest was tremendous and she felt herself on the verge of losing composure.

"Velvet!"

The sound of Yatsuhashi's deep and firm voice snapped her to attention. She peered at him behind her drooping ears, unsure of his intentions. He sat with his back straight and had a serious expression striking some stress in her.

He took a deep breath and looked deep into her eyes, "Everything is going to be okay..." He said calmly.

…

Velvet could only look at him almost not understanding what he had said. Suddenly all the pent up tension and pressure dispersed and left her body, she felt her body slump relaxed. She let her legs go and leaned back onto the wall emotionally spent but well. Looking at her hands she saw the marks of her nails that had been digging into her palms truly showing her just how far she had gone. She let her head rest on the wall then released a deep breath and turned to look back at Yatsuhashi.

"Yeah… you're right."She said smiling gently.

Seeing the her smile made Yatsu grin, thinking that smiles suit her better. "We sould rest. It's a big tomorrow." He said sleeply as he shifted to lie down onto his bed roll.

Velvet did the same as her fatigue finally hit her and snuffed out the light. Bundled up in her blankets the darkness of the room became welcoming as she could feel slumber approaching slowly. Though she could not see him, she looked to the place he was and the presence of her friend somehow gave her comfort.

"...thanks" she said gently

Yatsuhashi was hit once more just like earlier today. He was amazed at how Velvet's could carry so much warmth and be so genuine. Albeit still lost, he was content that she looked better at the very least. For some reason seeing hearing her like this and her smile made him a little warm inside…

As the darkness wrapped them into deep slumber, Velvet thought to herself

'Yeah… It's the first day. How bad could it be?..." As she finally slept.

 ** _The following morning_**

"Ladies and gentlentmen! You are about to be launched from the pad under your feet, off this 50 foot cliff, into the very dangerous Emerald forest with many grimm. I hope you are ready."

* * *

 **A/N: Helloo one and all! First things first -HOLY SHIT THE RESPONSE TO MY FIRST CHAPTER IS OVERWHELMING. I cannot overstate the immense appreciation i have to everyone who has favorited, followed or left a review you guys are great and thank you so much for reading! I hope I can keep you all interested all the way through and we will have a wonderful journey together!**

 **SO NOW FOR MY TALE OF WOE AND TRIBULATIONS- it wasn't nearly as serious as that. Basically the reason why I was a little late on the update is because I have a full time job and all month it was just hectic as fuck. I had to take a lot of other responsibilities that I shouldn't have needed to worry about in the first place and all in all things were just bad for everyone involved. But hey silver lining, it's over... hopefully. _ehhhhhh pflblblbllblbllllllllllllllffffff_**

 ** _Also I hope you guys realize that I made you all read about puke for about 1.5k words. heuhuehuehuehuehuehuehuehehuuehueheuhe_**

 ** _AND FOR SOME CONTEXT THIS IS BASED OFF REAL LIFE_ SITUATION.I met my best friend on a naval transport. We were young, he just ate lunch and I was stupid enough to give him a bump. I wore his lunch like a poncho and I looked FANTASTIC. Still serving proudly together and we are so close we slap each other's butts. Its a good time. **

**_In any case, I hope you guys had a better month than me and that you enjoyed the chapter._**

 ** _I'LL SEE YOU NEXT TIME_**

 **ANSWERS FOR THOSE WHO I COULDN'T PM:**

 **Softballcatcher2: Thank you so much for your kind words! ;A; It really brings me great joy when people leave such encouraging words and that they enjoy my writing, I really stress SO MUCH whenever I post anything. But I WILL KEEP WRITING AND FINISH THIS STUPID SOMETIMES FLUFFY, DRAMA, SILLY AND FEEL GOODSIES STORY THAT I HAVE IN MY HEAD. IF ONLY FOR YOU AND YOUR KINDNESS. :D**

 **but for the other question, I do! I speak very rudimentary Italian and I can get around but the way I used ciao earlier is just me being Quebecois as fuck. For some reason we say ciao despite it not being french AT ALL so yeah :I**


	3. Chapter 3: Crossing Paths

**A/N: HEY THERe**

 **ITS BEEN A WHILE**

 **HOPE YOU ALL ARE DOING WELL**

 **I'LL TELL Y'ALL ABOUT WHY THIS IS SO LATE AT THE BOTTOM.**

 **THANK YOU FOR READING AND I HOPE YOU ENJOY**

* * *

The morning came all too quick for Coco.

They were woken up at the break of dawn and rushed by a hyperactive professor. She didn't quite catch his name, mostly due to her sleep addled state but also because he spoke unbelievably fast. He could recite an entire thesis in a blink of an eye and yet enunciated every syllable so distinctly that if you paid close attention you could capture everything and sometimes understand.

She went through her usual routine with a slight grumble in her voice as she and the rest of the students got ready. She slept well no doubt, it's just that she liked having her beauty sleep. No sense in stressing out over this initiation and risk getting acne. She patted her sleeves down and tied her leather corset, feeling refreshed Her hair however… needed work as it often did every morning. Even when she began to be hounded by the same professor, she took her time and made sure that she looked impeccable.

She yawned loudly as they stood on the precipice. She was at the head of the line seeing that they were placed in alphabetical order, Fox was a few spots down. Looking down the line she recognised a few others from the previous night. She let her mind wander, recounting the events…

She left with Fox after the particular speeches and made their way to the hall. Fox found a nice little corner to set up with practiced almost mechanical movements while she decided to put her bedroll near the middle. She was used to the crowded center of the great hall and spent much of the time socializing as well as enjoying the spectacle of her peers in various sleepwear. She would have lied if she didn't tease Fox's simple tank top and red boxers. She also assessed his body not missing his toned scared arms. Though she did have a part of her which enjoyed scrutinising the beautiful human body, male or female, she was truly looking at who she was going to be dealing with. She had heard some rumors of teams and wanted to get ahead of the game and see if she could spot out some more promising choices.

So she went about… "window shopping", talking to a few groups here and there as well as keeping an eye out. The night was fairly uneventful and she didn't find much in terms of candidates but she enjoyed herself nonetheless.

Among her short list was Fox (obviously, especially with a butt that looks that good in boxer briefs), a hulking leviathan of a man who stuck near a bunny faunus; who coincidently was also on the list, a medium sized man with a lean build who was doing coin tricks, a scarcely dressed gal around her height with piercing eyes and a few other less notable individuals.

Fox was a clear choice, he held himself with confidence and had an impressive built physique. The little time she spent with him also allowed her to see his personality which proved to be decent if not enjoyable to be with. Already she'd marked him two points but if anything is to be said of his scars, he seems to be a considerable close quarters fighter. Something that would certainly benefit her in covering her combat bases, not that she necessarily needed it of course.

There was however a feeling that he was hiding something, there was a particular way his eyes looked at her which gave her a strange vibe… Ultimately not a bad thing but if she ever got to pair up with him it certainly seemed worth investigating.

As for the black haired goliath, she saw a man built like a mountain. Yeah sure everyone here are, give or take, pretty in shape. Not this guy. He has a body of a veritable juggernaut which screamed hardened combat experience. Hell she wanted him on her team for the sheer presence he holds. She wasn't the only one who noticed either. He looked around as if he could feel the dozen pairs of eyes on his back and met her eyes as he scanned the room. He held contact with her for a few moments then politely nodded as he turned away.

Coco considered herself a good judge of character and when they locked eyes she saw something which surprised her pleasantly, confident serenity. A calm which certainly betrayed the dangerous aura which wraps around him. Not only that but he too seemed to be testing the waters for potential teammates. This was one to keep an eye for…

The bunny faunus nearby also caught her interest for various reasons. For one, her body doesn't seem too muscled, hell if she didn't know better she might even say that she looks weak. But herein lies the important bit… people like these often have something crazy up their sleeves which allows them to stand toe to toe with the rest. That often these people end up being more powerful which is only amplified by those who make the mistake of underestimating them.

Then there's the point of her faunus heritage. Not to sounds exploitive but having a faunus on the team is an enormous advantage due to their natural born abilities. Not to mention but she must have extraordinary hearing which can be just as beneficial in dire situations as it can be a detriment in regards of loud confrontations or bullying. Must be hard to have such a large range seeing that people say the worst of things when they are "out of earshot". Coco grimaced at that thought, she simply couldn't understand how people can treat one another like that.

Lastly, the girl seemed timid and reserved which means she may have a very agreeable personality. Though she might have problems with her eccentricity… ah we'll cross that bridge when we get there.

As for the magician, at first she wasn't all too impressed or interested seeing that he looked very generic: medium build, decent muscle and basic personality. What made her look twice was his coin magic. Coco by no means is a dull person and prides herself on being rather clever so she fully expected on being able to follow all his tricks. But at multiple different times he threw her through loops and he seemed to notice her trying to disassemble his movements. Which made him do even more ridiculous tricks of which she just had no clue what happened. He had to have been using his semblance but despite flaunting it in front of a crowd she couldn't identify it.

That's when she realised that this was his way of looking for partners. Scanning his crowd for people who could follow all the while demonstrating his abilities and intellect. It was subtle and yet cunning, definitely an interesting person to watch.

Finally there was the girl who kept to herself. She had wild short blond hair and compact muscles with a simple black sports bra and boxer briefs. She stayed to the edges of the hall and spoke only when spoken to but would watch them as if she was stuck on the sidelines; like she wanted to interact but for whatever reason couldn't.

Despite the distance Coco could still make out some interesting details. For one, the girl's tan skin had white scars in the shape of lightning arcs which spread from her heart. The various branches reached her knees, the tip of the fingers and cradled the left side of her face. While Coco observed her she could've sworn that her scars pulsed gentle light which stemmed from her chest. As Coco drifted over the girl's features she was struck by her eyes.

Bright blue eyes that have such an intense gaze it seemed like she was looking right through Coco. They held no malice but commanded respect and power. The girl turned away and lied down which left Coco to analyze what she had just experienced.

Nothing of great note happened afterwards and she soon went to bed.

The sudden barrage of the professor's instructions snapped her back to the present.

"SO CHILDREN, ARE YOU ALL READY FOR AN ADVENTURE OF A LIFETIME!? OH I Almost forgot, you all will be paired up with another student within this forest! The process is very simple! The first person who you will make eye contact will be with you for the next four years! And don't worry, we will know who you saw first whether you like it or not! Almost like if you all became attached by the hip, but not because that would be rather complex to organise not to mention the logistical implications. Imagine the having to enlarge all the doors in Beacon to accommodate. I suppose the ethical query of the whole situation would be questionable at best as well but still an interesting thought experiment. Where was I? What, why am I talking about partners. MY GOD WE ARE AT THE CLIFFS; RIGHT! INITIATION!" Doctor Oobleck took a sip from his thermos. "SO! YOU ARE GOING TO BE PAIRED UP WITH ANOTHER STUDENT- Hold on I already said that whICH MEANS I NEED TO GIVE YOU ALL THE ACTUAL ASSIGNMENT!"

"WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT"

"THAT YOU ALL NEED TO DO"

"IT'S IN THE FOREST"

"WITH ALL THE GRIMM AND SUCH"

Oobleck took a long swig of his thermos

Coco was flabbergasted. A silence grew in the air as all the students leaned forward ever so slightly at each pause he took; expectant and holding their breaths. This was one of their professors?

Minutes pass and Oobleck is still drinking but then he finally lowers his thermos and peers at the students.

"...What are you all waiting for"

It took all of Coco's will to not stumble over. A growing sense of murder grew in the back of her head as she spoke up.

"Professor- "

" _Doctor"_

" _Doctor_ , you haven't told us the assignment yet."

"What? Didn't I tell you all to go fetch an artifact from the temple with your partner and bring it back here to the cliffs?"

The whole line of students shook their head negatively and Oobleck paused to think for a moment.

"Oh well! I'm certain you all will figure it out, now off you go!"

And with that Coco was launched into the air as she cursed her teacher.

What the hell has she gotten herself into.

* * *

Air rushed by Fox's face as the smell of a bustling forest filled his lungs. Rays of sun washed over his skin and warmed his entire body. A nice warm summer day for lying in the grass and taking a nap.

This would have been pleasant

Hadn't he been hurtling through the air for the second time in twenty four hours.

He could fight very well, find his way around without trouble or walking into people (mostly) and he trained so hard for this moment. But of course Beacon would throw a curveball and launch a blind man into a forest.

Through the air.

Off a cliff.

Mayhaps Beacon was a mistake.

Well nothing to do about it now, he could only give it his all. He focused and could hear distinct sounds of varying levels of panic from his cohort not too far behind as well as people hitting the ever approaching treeline. Calculating quickly, he estimated how far he was from the trees and prepared his weapons. His aura would take a bit of a hit since he will be relying solely on reaction time and won't be able to disperse much of the impact. So he grit his teeth and waited…

At the first flick of leaves brushed his arm he sprung into action, swiping his weapon into where he believed to be the tree. His bet paid off as he felt the weapon sink into the thick trunk and it gave a satisfying thud. Twisting his body around, he kept his right arm dug into the tree and slowed his descent by circling the tree. Wood chips spraying everywhere he dislodged himself after a few seconds know that the ground isn't too far away. Then when his feet met earth he rolled off the excess inertia.

He stood up and let himself have a moment of respite… and pride. He did a quick fist pump for a job well done and set about getting his bearings.

For a forest supposedly brimming with grimm (and peeved students) it was oddly quiet. Not completely silent, there was the sounds of a live healthy forest all around but he strained his ears for the sounds of combat… but found nothing.

Oh boy, time for the blind man to take a walk in the woods with no means of marking the cardinals.

Taking a deep sigh he set off into the foliage.

He walked for a good ten minutes, the dense underbrush not posing too much of an obstacle due to his heightened senses guiding him. He was born blind and so learnt quickly how to use his other senses to their utmost.

The sound of gunfire peaked his ears as he turned to face the source. It wasn't far and from the sound of it and they certainly did not care for saving bullets. Whoever they were and whether or not they actually needed the help didn't matter, grimm are never to be taken lightly. He quickly made his way to the gunner jumping over roots and bushes to try and make time.

Few moments later he noticed that he wasn't the only one attracted by the noize. Beowolfs scurried in the woods at his side hurrying to the same location he was. One of the beasts noticed him and stopped in its tracks in front of him growling deeply. Without losing pace he shortened his steps and quickly lined himself with the beowolf. Before the grimm could rear back for a swipe Fox kicked forward and spun. His bladed gauntlet point pierced and sunk deep into the side of its skull, killing it. With the momentum of the spin, Fox landed on the side of the grimm and he kicked off the corpse; retracting his weapon and continuing on his way.

The hail of bullets was becoming more and more impressive the closer he came. Among the sounds were the cries of beowolves being cut down systematically but then it all quieted down to the rolling rhythm of a machine gun revving. He stopped short of his destination to gather his bearings and found that all the grimm that had been accompanying him were gone, all was left was the revving and panting of the gunner.

He stepped through the bushes making bus presence known but the gunner immediately turned on a dime as he heard the machine gun revs trail and taking aim at him. He let out a sigh as he heard them lower their aim and release a deep breath.

With a little wave of his hand he spoke, "Heard you a mile away and thought you could use some help. I apologize for assuming wrongly, those beowolves didn't stand a chance did they?" he smiled as he tried to focus his eyes on the person or at least where they should be.

"My hero~" Oh Dust it's her. Her voice sounded sweet like honey but laced with sarcasm to the brink but he recognised it within a heartbeat. Coco Adel was his partner. He heard the machine gun mecha shift back into its regular form as Coco strode towards him her steps had a muffled sharp sound due to the grass. Did she really wear high heels as part of her combat gear? Incredible. Well he cant say anything, he's blind and she's wearing heels. Two negatives makes a positive, that's how math works right.

Despite the awkwardness of their first meeting, he couldn't help a smile creep onto his face. He didn't know her much but he admittedly enjoyed the time they spent together even if the majority of it was her ribbing on him. It just felt comfortable to hang around her. "Does this make us partners?"

"You'll have to make eye contact first, eyes up here honey."

He slapped his face. Of course he would fuck this up. He could fight grimm, has remarkable dexterity and strength to impress his partner but instead he just had to embarrass himself a second time in front of the same gal.

Dust, he could hear her smirk through her velvety words.

Regaining some composure he waved his hands in front of him desperately "I swear I didn't mean to stare - no that's not what i meant it's that UGHHH." He dragged his hands down his face. "... why do I feel like this has happened before."

Coco let out a warm little chuckle. "Maybe because it has, but that aside let me help you… " she strode up to him and with a slender finger traced his jawline to his chin lifting it up slightly, her face dangerously close. "See, thats how its done."

He jumped back immediately face flushed red as she laughed. How does she do it. How can she get under his skin so easily and encountering so little resistance on his part. "I'm teasing you, don't worry so much. After all you'll get used to me or get better at the game yourself; either way you better be quick or else it's going to be a long four years for you." She let out a warm little chuckle no doubt imagining what kind of torture she will put him through for her enjoyment.

She turned around and took a few steps as if ready to move on with assignment. That took him off guard.

Did… did she not see his eyes?

Was she purposefully ignoring them or did she really not know. No he was certain that she was close enough to see something different about him. Not to mention his less than stellar performance of hiding it. He had to know but also if they were to work together… she deserved to know. A secret like this isn't worth endangering someone else's life.

"Coco wait!" She spun around and tilted her shades forward. "I got to ask… did you notice my eyes?"

She thought for a moment, recalling all her interactions. The way his eyes seemed unfocused, looking at her but not _looking_ at her. How his line of sight always seemed to be just slightly off of her, like how someone looks at the person's ear instead their eyes but without the teasing malice. Lastly, she knew his eyes were white but looking at them up close she saw the cloudiness that glazed over his pupils.

"I have some ideas…" He nodded gently, it doesn't take sherlock to piece together the various subtle hints.

"Well, let me nail it down for you… Coco I'm blind. And not in the 'I can't drive without glasses' or 'everything's a blur' blind but rather complete and utter blindness." That's what she thought, having it confirmed however put her at ease. She was curious before no doubt but she didn't want to put him on the spot. Besides if he didn't tell her now he would've come around some time in the course of their schooling.

"Good to know,... thanks for telling me." she smiled gently, a little proud that he confided in her like this. "Shall we be on our way then?"

Wait what?

That's it?

He imagined this very situation a thousand times training for beacon. Prepared to make his case that it won't hold him back and that he is still one of the better fighters despite it.

But she just blew him away, she didn't make a single remark or offer him aid through the woods.

Just implicit trust.

"It… doesn't bother you?"

"No. Normally it probably would have but you couldn't have gotten this far on luck alone I imagine. You must have some skill, more so you seem to be rather able nonetheless. So no, it doesn't bother me." She turned and started walking again this time Fox in tow. With Coco in lead they went through bushes hoping to find the temple."Not to say I don't have questions, i have plenty, but they are more for clarifications rather than inquiring about your qualifications."

Wow.

He was at a loss of words. He knew that Beacon tended to attract more progressive thinkers but this was astounding. She didn't childe or pity him in the slightest but accepted him as a fellow huntsmen. He almost didn't recognize her. "...Thanks, partner." he hoped he didn't look goofy grinning widely.

She didn't think being called partner would be so gratifying. Dust she was wrong, she felt elated. "Not at all and besides... " with a few quick steps she brought herself right up next to him her left hand cupping his face. "We will have ample opportunity to answer those questions at a later time, one on one…. _Partner_."

Ah never mind, there she is.

The way she purred that last word sent shivers down Fox's spine. Coco grinned as she could feel the heat of his blush through her glove.

Not to be outdone, he recovered and with a quick grin he narrowed his eyes "You're a saucy one aren't ya." Coco noted how he's a bit faster to respond.

"Absolutely hun"

Suddenly an enormous crash startled them. Scared the bejesus out of him and Coco let out a little yelp. The explosion was far away and yet they both felt the earth quake. The tremors felt like artillery fire of a caliber so magnificently large humanity might be better off never using it. The forest stirred birds flew out of tree in droves as the fauna scurried away and past them.

After a few moments, they like the entire forest took a second to recover.

"Okay, calm. Everyone calm. I am calm. Coco, what the HELL was that and is it some huge fuckoff grimm?."

She peered through the trees and even with the leafy rooftop she could see earth rising in the sky. "I don't know but whatever it is, it left a mushroom cloud of dust."

"... a mushroom cloud."

"Yep"

"Let's not go that way."

"Agreed."

* * *

From the cliffs Oobleck watched over the peaceful scenery of flying students and the occasional scream over the beautiful forested canopy.

Then the explosion happened.

It tore a hole in the land and left a gigantic cloud. The sound thundered through the area smashing into Oobleck who almost dropped his coffee. He stood there stunned,his glasses half fallen off and a flabbergasted face. Then he started to shake.

"That"

"WAS"

" **AWESOME!** "

* * *

Velvet had been scouring the woods for some time now, having been one of the first few to fly. She used her enhanced hearing while wandering to sift through the various other students from afar that she encountered.

Most of them already paired up but there were a few solitary students that were adamant on finding someone. She skillfully avoided them once identifying that they were not her mark. She didn't want a random partner, especially with how easily she could be paired up with a close minded bigot. So she didn't take any chances.

No she decided who she wanted. She wanted Yatsu.

He was big, tough looking but more importantly didn't care that she was a faunus. Now that she thinks about it, he hadn't even mentioned it at all in the entire day they spent together. If they got paired up she'd be able to live comfortably without needing to keep her eyes over her shoulder and concentrate on becoming a huntress. She knew she would encounter some, less than savoury people here and that she can't control. However if she is given the opportunity to make her dorm a safe haven to retreat to in rough times then she will tips the odds in her favor to obtain what she wants.

He was also just very kind. Maybe a bit socially awkward but well intentioned in the best ways. Her thoughts drifted to last night when he consoled her fear. He had a rather strange way of interacting, using few words and getting straight to the point. Which was fine with her, it demonstrated a down to earth personality and solidity that was just the thing she needed to calm down.

All of these qualities made for the ideal partner for her. It would allow her to have someone to rely on, not degenerate her for her race and treat her differently, give her the independence to do what she wished in the comfort of her living quarters and just be a friend.

She saw him at the cliffs some ways down the line when she got launched, she noted that he hadn't been yet.

Good, gives her more time.

Once she landed she kept a low profile and scouted around trying her best to find people but remain out of sight so not to partner with them by accident especially when that crazy profess- _doctor_ up on the cliffside mentioned that they would be watching closely for the instance of eye contact.

Dust, she doesn't even want to think about the ordeal that was this morning. The rude awakening, being rushed, given half assed instructions and then catapulted off a cliff.

Was she scared? Terrified.

But she has got to keep a level head, she knows how to fight, is agile and strong. This is just initiation, how hard could it be? She had memorized a bunch of generic combat styles and her light box was charged. She even managed to kill a few beowolfs while sulking around!

And well if Yastu had already found a partner… she'll have to improvise. She'll cross that bridge when she get's to it, better to just focus on hunting him down and getting settled to work together.

Like Yatsu said everything's going alright.

Then the earth in front of her exploded.

Nope.

 _Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope_.

She wanted to run but she was frozen due to shock. Dust, tree chunks and patches of dirt flying everywhere. The gust of wind blast past her as she stood there wide eyed at the object that had landed in front of her. Her ears hurt due to the sound but they were pointed and alert to any sudden sound. If that thing was going to make a sudden movement she will know and bolt.

In front of her she could see the shadow of a form. Was it a grimm? An asteroid? Whatever it is, it needed speed to impact like that meaning either it came from up high or it purposefully sped up.

The shadow moved, from a crouched position it rose slowly to a bipedal stance. Velvet widened her stance, ready to move at a moment's notice. She was shaking but resolved. She knew that if it was dangerous there would be no running, she had to fight. If she can't do this what will that mean for her in the next few years, no she will stand her ground. The shadow turned slowly but then as the dust slowly cleared it locked onto her.

This was it. Knees bend, semblance ready and ears alert.

"Oh, hello there Velvet."

* * *

Impact.

He bent his legs letting his semblance pull back then his aura taking the rest of the force. He felt the shockwave that reverberated through the ground of the area.

...Maybe that was a bit much.

Peering around he saw total devastation of the forest and ground around his landing zone. He effectively created a clearing in a very dense forest. Well, in time it may actually become a pond.

Definitely a bit much.

He rose and was taking his bearings when he saw someone through the dust. Goodness, how lucky. Lucky for both of them: he found someone immediately and they didn't get hit by a 240 pound human missile.

He was about to go check if they were unharmed when a gust of wind revealed the person.

"Oh, hello there Velvet." he waved at the girl. He really was lucky, Velvet will prove to be a very good partner he was sure of it.

Though looking at her she looked stunned. She seemed prepared to fight and yet had a face of complete surprise. That face slowly evolved into relief and then a slight anger as her ears lay flat backwards. She stomped her way to him with intense frown with the edges of her eyes swelling threatening to shed tears.

She lined up to him and started wailing weak strikes against his his chest. "YOU SCARED THE SHIT OUTTA ME YATSU. GODDAMNIT. DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG I WAS LOOKING FOR YOU THEN YOU JUST POP OUT FROM NOWHERE LIKE A BAT OUT OF HELL AND THEN THROW DIRT AND SHIT EVERYWHERE."

He rose his hands in mock defence as she kept bonking, her complaints devolving into a mix of frustrated groans with various inaudible ramblings. "I apologize about that friend, it was not my intention." He rose his hands in defence, a wry smile on his face not knowing how to deal with the frustrated classmate.

She took a step back puffed her cheeks and crossed her arms, fixing a stern gaze on him. "You better be… I thought you were part of the initiation. I was ready to fight you."

He smiled and held out his hand "Well I'm glad it did not come to that. Does that mean we can be partners instead?"

She watched him with his hand outstretched for a couple moments, not letting him off the hook for scaring her just yet. Then her facade fell and she released her pout and sighed deeply before wiping her eyes then taking a gentle smile as well. "I think that would be swell." She took hold of his hand and they shook once again.

The moment was ruined as the roars of various grimm came from the forest all around them. "You think that your explosion attracted the grimm?"

Yatsuhashi raised a hand to grip his sword. "I don't know, best not find out."

Velvet nodded and scampered off to one side of the blast zone "This way! I'll guide us to the temple." Yatsuhashi followed without complaint.

They traversed the forest with relative ease. Relative being that there were going in the right direction and Velvet proved to be an excellent navigator but they encountered quite a few grimm along the way. They just assumed that Yatsuhashi's landing either stirred the grimm or attracted them towards that spot.

Not that the grimm they faced were particularly hazardous, the pair made quick work of the beasts with Velvet locking them down with quick strikes then Yatsuhashi finishing them off with broad strokes.

They made to another clearing that had a large circular pad with numerous pedestals along it as well as other students. Making their way to join their classmates Velvet made note of the few pairs who were there. A girl with dark skin a sleeveless shirt and a metal pack on the small of her back was with a much shorter boy who had a long sweatshirt and gauntlets. The girl seemed to have a particular critical eye as she scrutinised the other people there with suspicion, as if she expected one of them to turn coat. The boy however looked towards the ground or to the treeline, avoiding eye contact the best he can. Though the few times she did, he would turn away quickly as if he was caught doing something wrong.

Two other pairs were making conversation a further ways down. One pair were two boys, the taller of the two had a very well fitted vest with a dress shirt under it. The sleeves were rolled up to his elbows and on his back was a long glaive. He was very boisterous, making large hand gestures while talking. His partner didn't say a peep however. Though the amused smile on his face seemed to suggest that he was fine with his buddy talking for him. He had a long sleeve sleek jacket that had a bunch of pockets all over it.

They were speaking to a rather tall girl with a beret and a pimped out handbag. Her companion looked bored out of his mind dragging his hands along his face slowly as if in agony. He resigned to his fate and sat down at the edge of the pad to wait for her while playing with his bladed gauntlets.

As Velvet and her own partner made it to the pad she recognized the tall girl as the fashionista from yesterday, they were the ones making a scene just outside the bulkhead. She giggled as the girl's partner just gave up and lied down on his back clearly exasperated while the conversation between the two extroverts seemed to get more energetic.

Yatsuhashi walked passed her as she scanned the students and stood at the last artifact on the pad. The silver rook. He took it and weighed it in his hand examining the craftsmanship. For some reason it had remarkable detailing but feeling the weight and texture of the item gave him the impression that it was from cheap materials. Was Beacon pressed for money? A thought to consider at another time. He brought it to Velvet and she gladly took it to examine it herself with a broad smile across her face.

"A Rook? I'm guessing that the rest of the artifacts were based on chess pieces, wonder if there's a symbolic meaning to them…" She turned it in her hands then traced the groove work which detailed the piece. "What are your thoughts? Do you think you would've chosen a Rook anyway had we the choice?" She peered upwards with curious eyes to her partner.

He looked down and was confused at first. Why would his thoughts matter? It was just a objective was it not? He turned to Velvet and once again in so many times in these few days was surprised. She didn't have any indication of ulterior motives… she just wanted to know more about him. Not about his body or his strength but his mind. It took him a few moments before he could formulate a reply.

"I do not know. I am not familiar with the intricacies of chess nor of its pieces unfortunately. Thus I probably would've either taken one at random or ask you to choose one." he shrugged, "I am a very simple person, I just do what is asked."

Velvet nodded understanding his points but not exactly where he was coming from. He certainly has more complexity than he is willing to give himself credit for but there also seemed to be another underlying issue at hand. She filed that thought away, if he had secrets feelings or thoughts he will tell her when he is willing. For now she'll take what she can get.

"What about you?" Yatsuhashi interrupted her thoughts and she scrambled noticing that she had been staring at him for a couple moments.

"Oh! Me? I- um I don't really know either? I never really felt any connection to the castle piece or any piece for that matter, well aside from the queen cause its just the best piece on the board but now im just rambling. I… I suppose this would have been a very good choice nonetheless, mostly due to how we dispatched those grim earlier." a content grin spread on her face remembering the few little confrontations they encountered on the way. They needed some work on coordination but for the most part they worked well together. "Like the Rook, we ploughed right through them." she did a small fist pump making her smile glow a bit more brightly.

She could do this, she was strong.

Yatsuhashi nodded, they had been very efficient at dispatching those grimm. However he wonders what would happen if a higher class grimm would arrive. No doubt he might be able to kill it himself but nothing is certain. However there must be something he can do to prove his worth in this initiation.

Someone clapped loudly to catch the pair's attention at the far side of the pad. It was the beret girl with her partner standing next to her. "Sorry to interrupt you two love birds, gazing _longingly_ into each other's eyes but I was wondering if you'd like to join us to trek back to the cliffs, there's no disadvantage being in numbers."

"Wh-what no! We are not lovers, we just met!" Velvet's face brightened at the accusation while Yatsuhashi considered the pros and cons of grouping up.

Then the girl was pushed gently but firmly aside by her partner, a sly grin on her face. "Ignore her, she's a tease. She is right though, everyone else left and it wouldn't hurt."

Velvet looked around quickly and noticed that in fact both duos had left with them noticing. Had they been talking for that long?

Yatsuhashi spoke up first, "Its an excellent proposition, what do you say Velvet?" he turned to her.

"Ah, well -" before she could finish her statement a loud screech tore through the air. All of them peered to the treeline to find a enormous King Taiju eyeing them. "I think that just made our decision." Velvet got into her combat stance. Coco nodded and whipped out her minigun while fox stood behind her ready to fight. Yatsuhashi drew his sword and gave himself some space.

At first the two sides just stared eachother down, an eerie calm before the storm. Then with a roar the snake charged. Coco stood her ground and began to unload, the buzz of the cylinder firing shot through the air as the bullets met their mark but leaving little damage. Fox sprung out from behind her and ran to its left side trying to flank its charge. He jumped delivering a flurry of blows but like Coco barely passing the armor.

As the Taiju reached Coco it reared up for a big bite as she quickly mecha shifted her weapon and prepared to dodge the strike. It shot down, large fangs sunk into the ground while Coco leap backwards. Velvet passed her striking the eyes of the vulnerable beast with a open palm strikes making dents in the armour but then plunging her hand deep into its left eye.

The grimm pulled back in pain with an screech swiped semi blindly at the foes around it with its tail, knocking Fox and Velvet and barely grazing Coco. Yatsuhashi was running in its blind spot and jumped onto its back, running the length to the head. The Taiju squirmed and coiled almost making him lose footing but with his sword drawn behind him and a kick he launched himself to its neck. He drove his blade through the armour and cut flesh, exposing a vulnerable point. The snake jolted and bashed its huge head against the giant, knocking him hard. He flew a fair ways righto into a tree, bursting through it.

Velvet and Coco had recovered and the gunner took up position with her gun again. Seeing the worry of her faunus compatriot spread across her face she started firing again. "Go get big man back on his feet! Fox, there's an open wound on the back of the neck! Go split it wide open, I'll cover you!"

"On it!" Fox plunged forward while the leviathan hissed in annoyance of Coco's barrage while Velvet gave a quick nod to the gunner and ran for her partner.

She left in a flash and in a few moments was next to the swordsman. He was getting up on one knee using his blade as support. She did a quick examination and patted his body for major wounds but the majority were scrapes which were already healing nicely due to his aura. However his left arm hung lower than it should. _Much_ lower.

With a grunt he heaved himself up to his feet just to pushed back down by Velvet. His eyes snapped to her, didn't she see that the threat still needed to be killed? She met his eyes and sent a stern gaze "You are not going back in. Your arm is dislocated, come here." she ordered.

"The grimm -" he started, short of breath

"The others can hold it off for now, we have to trust them." She rummaged in her pack and looked over her shoulder. He peered as well at the battlefield and saw the redhead deliver a fury of blows all over the monster scoring a few in the wound he made while the girl laid siege with bullets but occasionally changed her weapon into a purse to deflect blows and reposition. "Besides," she patted around his shoulder, drawing his attention. "if you went back into the fray with _this-_ " she grasped his limp arm tightly and Yatsuhahsi gasped sharply. "You won't be much help at all. Now relax, I'm going to reset it."

Yatsuhashi could only nod, she was right on every regard. Going back now would only be detrimental to him and the others. He berated himself while Velvet prepped his arm. She withdrew a white tube from her pack and quickly poking him three times around his shoulder with it, a small prick accompanying them. "Its an anaesthetic, it'll dull the pain and allow you to fight for a brief amount of time." She shoved the pen back quickly then made him sit up with his back straight and with one hand grabbed his wrist and with the other clamped on his bicep. "Ready when you are." Yatsuhashi took a deep breath and then nodded. "This is going to hurt at first but soon your aura will take care of it."

She pulled his forearm back to the outside while not letting his upper arm move. Yatsuhashi winced hard and she knew when she was in the sweet spot. With a swift movement rolled his arm and with a resounding thunk his shoulder was back in place. Despite both his aura and anaesthetic, his arm pulsed with pain and gave a large shock when it was replaced. Slowly she pulled his arm forward towards his stomach and asked him to make a fist if he could. He complied and his arm felt much better, he could open and close his hand and move his arm with very little pain.

Satisfied, Velvet got to her feet and offered a hand. "It'll hold for now but we'll get it properly assessed at school. Keep in mind, the anaesthetic is deceiving. It may seem healed but it's still very vulnerable so be careful." He took her hand and stood, taking hold of his sword once more testing his arm. He turned to her weapon ready "Thank you,... let's go." They both charged back to their classmates.

On route to Coco they saw Fox dive a blade point into an exposed area, splashing him with the grimm black blood as it gushed like a jet. They noted that there are two more big lacerations on the snake as well as multiple bullet wounds, its hide no doubt has reached its limit and no longer resists well. Fox jumped off the body as it undulated cracking its tail like a whip barely missing the agile fighter.

They regrouped at Coco near the opposite treeline as she spun down her gun, its barrels near molten red. The duo looked exhausted from fighting the high class grimm by themselves, both of them a bit rough around the edges.

"Glad you could join us, thought we were going to hog all the fun!" Despite her tire she managed a broad smile making Velvet chuckle a bit.

"If this is what you consider fun, I do not want to see what a good day looks to you." Fox joined them last, sweat dripping from his face.

"Oh don't worry, we will be sweating for an _entirely_ different reason." She purred while Fox just groaned.

While they were all catching their breaths, Yatsuhashi was taking in the grimm's condition. It peered at them from across the clearing eyeing them as it slowly moved towards them. It was bleeding badly but it still has some fight in it. Like all grimm, it won't go down until it has been completely incapacitated.

"Right ladies, that thing is nearly dead; Fox and I have done some good work but he's at his limit and I'm almost out of bullets. At this point we could let it bleed out but that is going to take too long, every moment with this piece of trash is a moment too much. I'm not willing to risk our well being on that, it needs the nail in the coffin." Coco turned to Velvet and Yatsuhashi. The snake picked up its pace. "Lady friend, you are quick as hell so you and I are going to lock it down from the front while Big man and Fox go from behind. Fox will be there to give you hand getting on it and whittling it down while you deliver the killing blow. Can I trust you with that?" The beast was only a few dozen meters away, tired of waiting it hissed and moved.

"Affirmative." Yatsuhashi rolled his shoulder testing it for a last time.

"You got it." Velvet nodded putting a hand over her box.

"Alright, let's party!" Coco rolled to her right as the head of the grimm slammed into the ground right where she was and the rest of the crew split. Velvet immediately went on the offensive delivering strikes at the nose of the beast while coco fired making the large grimm rear back and wail in pain. While the two stayed in front, the other pair made their way around to a flank. Running side by side Fox took Yatsuhashi's hand, plunged his blade into the beast and threw him onto the monster. Yatsuhashi landed and immediately prepped his strike making his semblance course through him. Only a few more moments.

Fox had run back to the vanguard trying their best to keep the snake's attention. It attacked slowly the trio, clearly on its last legs while they dished as much damage as they could.

It whipped its tail making them back off screeching loudly as a last valorous cry.

Then the beast stopped moving and its head slid off its body. The corpse writhed and contorted spewing black blood from its stump.

There stood Yatsuhashi on the dead beast, sword held low and breathing heavily. He hopped off the beast and made his way over. Coco sighed in relief as Fox and Velvet both yelled in victory.

He joined the group as the crew all had smiles on their faces. They just beat a high class grimm and they haven't even BEGUN classes! Safe to say pride welled up in all of them.

"You did good Big man!" Coco moved to pat Yatsuhashi on his shoulder but before Velvet could intervene she touched it making him shudder in pain. "Oh shit! I'm sorry oh no -ahahaa, I'm so sorry!" Coco bent down to grab hold of his other side with an apologetic smile on her face, the adrenaline of the fight coursing through her. Not to mention a bit of unintentional schadenfreude since she was worried but they were all so elated she couldn't help but laugh warmly.

Velvet went to his hurt arm and quickly assessed it but was waved off by Yatsuhahsi claiming it was alright. She saw the gentle smile on his face so she didn't contest it and backed off. Fox was listening to the entire tirade amused by just how close they had fought just to be hurt by their own.

A screech tore them from their celebrations. All their heads snapped to the body as they saw the white head bite at them. Fox dove and pushed Yatsuhashi and Coco away while Velvet jumped back to clear some space. Coco immediately got her gun out and pulled the trigger only to be met by hollow clicks. She looked at her gun in disbelief not noticing the tail coming for her. Fox tried intercepting again only to be swept away with her.

Yatsuhashi got up, narrowly dodging the tail swipe and took hold of his sword. Pain shot through his left arm like lightning making almost drop his sword but he grit his teeth toughing through it. He would not allow this monster the satisfaction of killing him. It was going to die.

He ran up to its head and struck with a broad stroke. It cut flesh but the snake mostly rolled with it and quickly counter attacked. Its maw wide open it dove for a series of bites at Yatsuhashi. He pushed forward getting grazed by the attacks but the speed of the bites didn't allow him to properly swing.

Velvet had jumped over the second attack with ease and ran to give her partner assistance. She attacked its long body hoping to draw its attention. On the upside it did! On the down side the sudden jolt of its head towards her knocked Yatsuhashi over. Whoops.

The snake hissed at her but then locked on to something behind her. With slight hesitation she quickly peeked over her shoulder. Their compatriots were together trying to gather themselves, they looked hurt badly. She snapped back to the snake a moment too late as it sped past her to the downed fighters. She pursued but could only attack its tail to no avail.

Coco saw it coming and hoisted Fox up, taking an arm and holding his waist they got to their feet. Everything burned. She was exhausted, her muscles ached and the small hits she took earlier were making its toll. Not to mention being smacked around the field by a whip the size of a tree. That didn't do much good for her current situation. She knew that Fox was looking about the same, neither of them were in fighting condition and the fuckoff snake is gunning for them.

Fucking great.

That thing is fast too, she couldn't outrun it especially having the extra baggage with her so she reasoned the only shot she's got would be a last minute dive to dodge that things fangs. The only problem being she doesn't think she has the strength to spur another miracle dive after that if it attacks again…. Well she'll cross that bridge when she gets to it. She bent her knees readying herself.

The monster rolled right up to them and rose its head way high. Velvet got on its back and struck as much as she could. Its hide was softer than its black counterpart but if she can't distract it, that won't make much difference. She hit harder and cut flesh small spurts of blood poured out but it still had its sights on the two.

 _No no no no NO NO!_ She screamed in her mind.

The beast plunged,

Coco flinched.

Not out fear or confusion, it's just her body wouldn't keep up with her mind and she was stuck there.

Shit.

She closed her eyes bracing for the worst.

But then a loud clang rang out. She opened her eyes and saw the maw of the beast only a few feet away. Hell she could reach in if she tried. She looked and saw the colossus hold his sword vertically to hold the thing's mouth open and resist against its tremendous strength.

All it took was a moment to snap Coco back to action. She hauled ass as far as her legs would allow her. Taking brief glances back at the fight.

The tall swordsman tilted his sword to the left and sidestepped, allowing the snake's fangs to crash into the ground right beside him. While the bunny faunus, seemingly aggravated began to make large gaping wounds across its body.

Coco set Fox down at a base of a tree and collapsed onto her butt. She was heaving heavily but ultimately fine. She noted that some changes might be required for her weapon, either larger magazine, spare rounds or just stronger bullets. Hell why not all of the above.

She turned to her partner to find that he had regained consciousness. He winced in pain when he tried to sit up, grabbing his side.

"Relax, you were out for just a few. Took a brutal hit from that tail." Coco put a hand on his chest pushing him down gently.

"Fuck… goddamn sloppy…"He scorned himself. He should've been faster, better than get beat up like this. Feeling his ribs he could sense a few fractures in the lower set. Recovery is going to suck ass. He turned to look at the fight but couldn't sense the current situation, too far away. "I've got a couple bumps. How about you, you alright? Also any ideas for bailing out?"

"Nothing major, scrapes and bruises. Mostly exhausted." Following his eyes she looked at the fight. The pair were making good work but the Big man was taking a bit of beating. "Our best bet right now would be to catch our breaths and fight because even if Biggie and Smalls over there manage to repel it, as a unit we are far too tired to outrun it. Problem is that at this rate we all will be much too exhausted to get back through the forest but even then, killing it is our best option."

"Is that your fancy way of saying 'we're pretty screwed'?"

"Smart-ass."

"Hey, saying it as I hear it."

Yatsuhashi and Velvet tag teamed to help each other avoid and strike the monster but all the extra mobilisation was taking a toll on him. He blocked another attack sending waves of pain coursing through his arm while he tried to examine their quarrel. The Grimm had large cuts and puncture points making it bleed gently but far from keeling over. He peeked over his shoulder and found Velvet was not to far behind, ready to switch places with him. A rhythm they developed in the heat of battle that seemed to work.

It was a simple frontline, backline formation where the front would have to evade and protect while the back rested and caught their breath then attacked at openings, switching places with the front. This allowed for equal distribution of responsibility and defined well their focus in each position.

He deflected a tail strike and Velvet jumped forward to slice it, cutting minor but long wounds onto the length of the tail. Now in the back he steadied his breath, keeping a strict eye on the monster's movement he gripped his sword hard ignoring the searing pain which burned throughout his body, steaming from his left arm.

Velvet evaded a few quick attacks before body checking the head to its side. Yatsuhashi saw his chance and jumped forward swinging down with all he had, ignoring how much everything hurt.

She had a strange feeling when he jumped, like something was wrong. She had yelled telling him to back off but it was too late and everything seemed to move in slow motion.

As his arm pulled down, he felt … lighter. He didn't hear Velvet's yell or understand the sudden numbness. All he knew is that this was the end of the fight and brought down his blade.

Only to hit the monster with thin air and a semi open fist. The collision shot deafening pain through him making him hyper focused on the agony.

He turned to see his sword fly for a fraction of a second and then plant itself a couple meters away. He couldn't much think about what was happening, he saw but couldn't make sense of it. The pain made him forget where he was and all he could think was that he should recover his weapon.

He never heard Velvet's warnings before the beast recovered and launched him across the field right onto the pad. He forced himself to push up off the ground to his knees but putting so much weight on his arm made him fall back down.

Darkness clouded his eyes as his last view was a blurred and abstract image of the battlefield with Velvet standing there… alone. But as his eyes faded to unconsciousness he saw a bright light from her, shining bright until he saw no more.

...

Velvet screamed.

She saw her partner fade away in the distance and agony raked her heart. Her scream changed into a roar as a rage filled within her.

 _No more casualties._

 _No more hesitation and no mistakes._

 _It was time to finish this for good._

She let loose a guttural battle cry as the large snake stood before her unfazed. Coco had her breath caught in her throat and Fox tensed up as he heard the events that transpired in great detail. However both could do nothing but watch and wait what will happen, frustrated at their helplessness.

Then the familiar shots of Coco's Machine gun rang through the air and the monster hissed loudly in pain.

"Didn't you run out of bullets?!" Fox turned to her, lost at the contradiction.

"I did! It's the girl!" Coco stared curiously at Velvet's light construct blaring away. It looked similar - no - _exactly_ like her gun with her stance and everything.

The beast dove towards her and tried to coil Velvet. She simply let go of the gun making it disappear, then jumped onto it with a new weapon. Two large bladed gauntlets appeared then she disappeared, only leaving behind a fury of slashes. Its hide weak and soft, the blades cut deep as massive blood spouts erupted from the wounds.

As a last ditch resort, the snake snapped it tail upwards launching the copycat far into the air. It spotted the faunus and opened its maw wide to catch her.

She had other plans,

As she fell the gauntlets evaporated and then came an enormous sword. She roared and swung.

The blade caught the snake head on and split it in the middle. She tore halfway through its body, the two halves falling to either side. Velvet stood in between the split parts as it spasmed for a moment, gushing dark blood which pooled on the earth and then nothing.

Coco was blown away.

 _What the hell was that._

She knew she had something crazy but this is outrageous. They didn't kill it, she ANNIHILATED it. Using their weapons no less!

Fox was very confused. He heard Coco's breath hitch as the gunfire died down to give to the sounds of steel schering flesh. Had he misheard? He thought the girl was unharmed… Considering how Coco was left wordless he doubted that even if he asked she wouldn't be able to explain it, hell she was probably just as lost as he was.

Velvet stood among the dissipating carcass of the giant grimm, still brimming with anger. She stayed there watching it, making sure it was good and dead not wanting another surprise.

Once reassured that it won't be getting up, all of her rage gave way to worry as she spun around checking on her classmates.

She tried to take a step forward but found that she couldn't advance. Looking down she noticed that she had fallen to her knees, her legs had given out.

Getting to her feet she was hit with a wave of extraordinary exhaustion and stumbled on her feet falling down again.

She had never used her semblance so much before. At least not for this long at once and especially with actions which required so much energy and concentration.

Pushing to her knees, she peered at Coco and Fox. Coco waved with a gentle smile and gave a thumbs up, thank goodness they were okay. She turned to look at Yatsuhashi to find him being loaded onto a bullhead. In her tired state she hadn't even heard it coming and she had two sets of ears. A man with a red cross on his should jogged towards her as she noted two others going to her other companions.

He reached her and immediately slung her arm over his shoulder, bringing her to the aircraft. "Who… are you guys?..." she said weakly.

"Beacon Field medics, technically 4th year students but don't worry about that we're getting you guys out of here." he sat her down in a seat before giving her a quick examination.

"Yatsu's… my partners sword is over there. It flew out of his grip."

"Already been taken care of, now rest" She looked at the area where she last saw it just to see a attendant pulling it out. Well,. trying. Another came to help and between them were able to transport the massive weapon. As the two struggled, she turned back she looked at the swordsman on a stretcher to her right, still unconscious but otherwise fine. Just a bit farther was the other pair, both being treated. Coco gave her a smile while Fox winced when his medic probed his body for wounds.

Everyone got out.

Good.

 _Good_.

She heard some indistinct talking, hand movements and then the aircraft's engines humming; lifting them into the air. Her eyes drifted closed and fell asleep.

It had been a long day.

* * *

 **A/N: Welcome to the bottom. I hope you liked the new chapter!**

 **So I'm going to start this off with an apology, I am sorry for dropping off the face of the earth and literally giving zero idea where/what I'm doing. To be frank My work got the best of me and I was super concentrated and had to focus solely on that for the past few months. Again, Sorry about that.**

 **In better news, I should be back to regular updating of this Fic so basically every two weeks or so and expect them to be around this length. Maybe more, maybe less. Depends on what the chapter is about.**

 **In other good news, I have a few other fics on the back burner for a few other Fandoms as well for RWBY. There are there so that I can bounce between different scenarios and stories so that I don't get burned out.** **For now, none of them have a schedule but appear as they come.**

 **There'll be a basic summary of the stories on my profile and I hope you enjoy them as much i as I do writing them.**

 **I'll see you guys around**


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